This application is directed generally to the automotive vehicle arts, and more particularly to a window adjustment assembly for adjusting the tilt or angle of a window of an automotive vehicle relative to a body panel or door panel of the vehicle.
The present invention is directed to apparatus particularly suited for use in so-called frameless vehicle windows. Such windows are commonly found in automotive vehicles such as passenger automobiles which are provided with convertible tops or in the so-called hardtop or coupe style. In such vehicles, the upper portion of the door or other body panel does not completely frame the window. In fact, it is common to provide no frame whatever for the window when the same is fully raised relative to the door or other body panel. However, it is desirable that the window properly mate with and/or seal with gaskets or the like which are provided in the vehicle roof or top, whether the top is of the convertible variety or of fixed variety.
From DE-A1 41 22 554, a frameless window pane for a motor vehicle is known in which the window is sealed by means of a compression spring guided on a bolt around the area of the window sill which presses the window in the direction of the vehicle interior, i.e., against the gasket area. The disadvantage of this technical solution consists in that to ensure an adequate seal at high speeds, comparatively high forces must be applied by the compression spring. This also results in correspondingly high frictional forces between the window pane and the gasket when raising and lowering the window such that a very powerful drive must be used.
From FR 1 197 709 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,942, adjustment and locking mechanisms are known which are mounted to the body of the door and engage the bottom of a window guide. By means of a rotational adjustment movement of a threaded bolt or a spindle, the desired tilting movement of the window pane is achieved. The adjustment position of a threaded bolt mounted in a threaded bushing may be locked by a lock nut.
The above-described solutions have the disadvantage in use for a two-strand cable window lifter because stresses develop readily in the material of the window pane, in particular when two guide rails of the two-strand cable window lifter are adjusted separately. Such stresses may even result in breakage of the window pane.
DE 37 23 679 C2 describes another variant for adjustment of a frameless window pane. It uses an aggregate support which is rotatably suspended in the sill area of the vehicle door, and which supports the window lifter and the window pane guidance means. In the center area of the aggregate support, a motorized movement device is attached which can be used for adjustment of the aggregate support for an optimal tilt angle of the window pane. As a result of the necessary high torsional strength of the aggregate support, the vehicle door is relatively heavy. In addition, the expensive motorized adjustment device significantly affects costs.
DE 36 13 978 C1 discloses a motor vehicle door with an aggregate support which accommodates a plurality of built-in components, in particular a window guidance for a window pane which can be lowered in a cavity between the aggregate support and the exterior door panel. In the area of the bottom of the door, two adjustment devices with adjustment bolts are provided on which the window guide may swivel relative to the aggregate support.
Again, by adjusting the two window guides separately, there is a significant danger that with a window pane adjustment, mechanical stresses can occur which can result in breakage of the pane. Such successive adjustment of the two adjustment bolts does not provide a worker sufficient feedback to correctly estimate the magnitude of the mechanical stresses.